Joshua 10:26-27
And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about a brutal execution; it highlights that the kings were left hanging on trees until evening. This wasn't merely about killing them, but a very public, extended display of their defeat and shame, meant to strike terror into any who opposed God's people.
After Joshua's miraculous victory, which saw the sun stand still to allow for the complete destruction of the enemy army, the five defeated kings were captured. Joshua publicly shamed them by having Israel's leaders place their feet on their necks, a powerful symbol of subjugation, before executing them. The text then details their public display after death, hung on trees until evening, a grim testament to God's judgment and a warning to the surrounding nations.
Why would Joshua hang dead bodies on trees for everyone to see? Was this just an act of brutal revenge?
The text in Joshua 10:26 describes Joshua striking, slaying, and then hanging the five kings on trees until evening. It's crucial to understand this wasn't about prolonging their suffering. The commentators highlight that this was a public display after death, serving distinct purposes:
A Public Declaration
Divine Mandate
What does seeing defeated kings trampled and displayed mean for the people of Israel and for us today?
The events described in Joshua 10 go beyond a mere military victory; they are deeply symbolic. The act of trampling the kings' necks and later hanging them served as powerful visual declarations for the Israelites:
Understand the original words
mûṯ · Hebrew Verb
The act of killing someone as a judicial punishment or in the context of warfare, often implying the finality of life ending. In Scripture, it is sometimes used for divine judgment carried out by human agents.
The public display of the executed kings served as a potent symbol of God's judgment on Canaanite wickedness and a stark warning to the remaining enemies, reinforcing the divine mandate for the conquest.
c. 1400 BC
Israel Enters Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, begin their conquest of the Promised Land. This marks the start of significant military campaigns against the established Canaanite city-states.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Gibeon
A coalition of Canaanite kings, led by the king of Jerusalem, attempts to defeat Israel near Gibeon. God intervenes with a hailstorm and miraculously lengthens the day, allowing Joshua's army to achieve a decisive victory.
c. 1400 BC
Five Kings Hide in Cave
After their defeat at Gibeon, the five Amorite kings (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) flee and hide in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua orders the cave sealed and the kings captured.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Execution of the Five Kings
Joshua commands his warriors to place their feet on the necks of the captured kings, symbolizing complete subjugation. The kings are then slain and their bodies are hanged on five trees until evening.
This verse sets a precedent by requiring that executed criminals not remain on a tree overnight, emphasizing that the public display of punishment was meant for a specific purpose and duration, mirroring the practice in Joshua.
Joshua 8:29This passage describes a similar public display of punishment for the king of Ai, showing that Joshua's practice of hanging defeated enemies was a consistent method of demonstrating God's judgment and instilling fear in enemies.
Psalm 149:6-9This psalm echoes the theme of God's people executing judgment on nations, speaking of binding their kings and nobles with chains, which resonates with the complete subjugation and public humiliation of the defeated Canaanite kings.
Colossians 2:15This New Testament passage speaks of Christ disarming the powers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross, which is seen as a spiritual parallel to Joshua's public display of victory and judgment over his enemies.
calvinJoshua 10:15-28: "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal."
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
Quum autem finem fecisset Josue, et filii Israel percutiendi plaga magna valde, donec consumerentur, et superstites qui evaserant ex ipsis ingressi essent urbes munitas.
And all the pe…
pulpitJoshua 10:26: "And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening."
Verse 26. - And hanged them. This was also a symbolical act, intended to encourage Israel in their warfare. All that day, until its close, were the bodies of the five kings visible to the whole host, to remind them of the signal victory God had vouchsafed them. The same thing had been done at Ai. See Joshua 8:29.
This verse isn't just about a brutal execution; it highlights that the kings were left hanging on trees until evening. This wasn't merely about killing them, but a very public, extended display of their defeat and shame, meant to strike terror into any who opposed God's people.
After Joshua's miraculous victory, which saw the sun stand still to allow for the complete destruction of the enemy army, the five defeated kings were captured. Joshua publicly shamed them by having Israel's leaders place their feet on their necks, a powerful symbol of subjugation, before executing them. The text then details their public display after death, hung on trees until evening, a grim testament to God's judgment and a warning to the surrounding nations.
After Joshua's miraculous victory, which saw the sun stand still to allow for the complete destruction of the enemy army, the five defeated kings were captured. Joshua publicly shamed them by having Israel's leaders place their feet on their necks, a powerful symbol of subjugation, before executing them. The text then details their public display after death, hung on trees until evening, a grim testament to God's judgment and a warning to the surrounding nations.
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Encouragement for Israel
Foreshadowing Spiritual Victory
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Makkedah
Immediately following the execution of the kings, Joshua and the Israelite army conquer the city of Makkedah, destroying its inhabitants and its king.
c. 1400 BC
Continued Conquest of Southern Canaan
After the events at Makkedah, Joshua continues his campaign, systematically defeating other cities and kings in the southern part of Canaan over a period of time.
"And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and…" — This verse isn't just about a brutal execution; it highlights that the kings were left hanging on trees until evening. This wasn't merely about killing them, but a very public, extended display of th…
